Avatar and the Tales of Ba Sing Se High
by jazzybizzle
Summary: AU!Modern! The Gaang and your favorite Avatar characters are in high school! They're trying to deal with crushes, ex-girlfriends, drama, and school work-just the average for a group of Benders. And now that Azula is back from the mental facility, she's destined to make someone's life a living hell. Who's her target? Katara. Major Kataang and Tokka! Others come into play too!
1. Welcome to Ba Sing Se High

**Hey guys! Since your pumped reactions on Tumblr, I decided to get the first chapter up and posted!**

**BTW: Aang and Toph are sophomores, Katara, Suki, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai are juniors, Sokka and Zuko are seniors. Yup. I set it that way. Cuz I can. xP**

**More characters will be involved, and the ONLY-I REPEAT, THE _ONLY LoK character that I'm using for this story is Asami, and she is Aang's guardian. _Aang eventually gets adopted in this universe by Asami, who is 26. (I pictured her in my head for some reason, instead of doing an OC. Meh xP).**

**The rest flows in naturally, and things will make more sense as we go, I promise :)**

**And also, the Kataang kiss never happened (for a reason). You'll thank me later!**

* * *

It had only been two weeks into school, and already the sophomores, juniors, and seniors of Ba Sing Se High were well settled in again. The freshmen, as usual, were still adjusting; some made friends quicker than others.

Today was Tuesday. It was sunny with some clouds here and there, and the weather was beyond perfection. Definitely one of those days where students would eat their lunches outside.

Four students made their way through the building. One of them was a pale, fifteen year old with airbending tattoos; he had dark brown hair, which had gotten a little more shaggier over the summer, a long and lanky build with hints of muscle here and there, and his growth spurt made him half a head taller than the pretty brunette girl he held the door open for first. His attire normally consisted of a beanie, an unbuttoned shirt with a tank top underneath (or just a fun tee in general), skinny jeans, and converse. Today he wore a grey beanie, a long sleeved orange plaid shirt undone, a white tank top underneath, skinny jeans, and black converse. The teen's name was Aang. He was the Avatar, master of all four elements, and the last airbender. His race had been isolated by the Fire Nation, and now he was adopted by a 26 year old woman named Asami.

The brunette who he had held the door open for her was from the Water Tribe. Along with her brown hair, she had olive-toned skin and blue eyes. Her figure was slim and her hair fell down to her lower back, today in loose curls. Even though she didn't consider herself very pretty, other peers sure did, especially Aang. Her style was pretty simple; she was dressy and flirty on some days, but she'd never say no to t-shirts and sweats any other day. Today she wore a dark jean cropped vest, a light blue layered dress with darker blue floral designs on it, black leggings, and matching velvet ankle wedged boots. Her name was Katara, and she was the last waterbender from her native nation. She, her brother, and father moved down here shortly after their mother's death. They found Aang in a block of ice a few years back, and have been on crazy adventures with him ever since. Hakoda, her father, was the chief of police.

Her brother was the tallest out of the four, standing a complete head taller than Aang. Like his sister, he had brown hair, olive-toned skin, and blue eyes. His hair was shoulder-length, occasionally having it up or down; today he decided to leave it down. He was more muscled than Aang, who he definitely considered one of his best friends, and was eye-candy as well as a total goof ball. His style was very laidback, however if he was in the mood, he could be a little pretty boy with the polos and matching shoes. For today, he was wearing a form-fitting blue graphic v-neck, black jeans, and blue sneakers. Being the oldest, currently a senior, he liked to point out that he was older than his junior sister whenever she tried to be all motherly, and his pet peeve was when Katara would try to tell him what to do.

And last, but certainly not least, was Toph Bei Fong. She was the shortest, being almost a complete head shorter than Katara. Considering her size when the trio first met her, everything about her was small. Her arms, her waist, her breasts, her legs, everything. Now that a couple years have passed, she got a little curvier, her hair fell naturally down to the bra strap, and she was sporting a B cup with victory. But don't let her size and lack of sight fool you. Yes, she was blind. But she was a badass earthbender, considering herself the best out of everyone, and anyone was a fool to challenge her. She also was the first earthbender to discover metalbending. And she had the type of personality that told you that she wasn't somebody to mess with. She was a tomboy and proud of it, and wouldn't be caught dead in a dress. Despite coming from extreme wealth, her parents being the second richest in the city, she sure didn't dress like it. Today, her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she wore a olive green graphic tee with the words _Cool Story, Bro_ in a cool bold font, black shorts, and olive green converse. She opposed wearing shoes, but her mother and the school board made her wear them.

Aang continued to hold the door open for Sokka and Toph, and then he followed behind.

"Hate wearing shoes..." Toph grumbled under her breath.

"You've been saying that since freshman year." Aang chuckled, and the Gaang followed him to his locker; ironically, his and Sokka's were by each other, and Katara's and Toph's were just down the hallway on the opposite side of the wall.

"Well, I'm still working on it! I demand that certain people like me should be able to come to school without shoes on. It only makes sense!"

"Ew, Toph. Don't you ever think sometimes?" Katara said. "People being allowed to not wear shoes is basically asking for Sokka's stinky feet..."

"HEY!"

"Chillax, Snoozles," Toph said, taking her earphones out of her ears. "We all know that you have stinky feet." She put her hand on his arm. "It's _okay."_

"Wow, Toph. You sure can make a guy feel better," Sokka deadpanned.

The doors opened, and the four looked up, watching another group of four walk in. One of them was with whome they were friends with, and was considered a part of the Gaang.

His name was Zuko, and, like the three girls he walked with, he was from the Fire Nation. He was pale and tall, had black shaggy "emo" hair, and a nice build that he barely showed off. His clothes were always dark, and today was no different. He wore a simple black jacket, hood over his head, with his hands in his pockets, and red earbuds in his ears as he listened to his rock music; also a black graphic tee with dark red flames on it that fitted him nicely, matching skinny jeans, a black necklace with a matching cross, black plain bracelet, a silver family crescent ring on his thumb, and black and red sneakers. What kept many girls at bay was not just his on again, off again girlfriend, Mai, but his fierce gold eyes and a scar across his eye that identified him as a person and reflected his past. His father, Ozai, had burned him, and was now in jail from trying to take over the world a couple years back.

Walking next to him, but closer to the girls, was Mai herself. She and Zuko had been the "emo couple" ever since they were younger, and she had dumped him in the summer. Just as pale as her ex, she had jet black hair that she always had in a somewhat scene style, with red streaks in the bangs area, and amber golden eyes. She was dark, brooding, stoic, and gloomy in personality, most likely bored when you see her; she wore long sleeves to stash her stilettos, or if it was warm, then her black hand/arm warmers or fingerless gloves. Now she wore a red cardigan, a black dress that flared out a little at the hips, black fingerless gloves *ahem*, black tights, and black boots. She also had a book under her arm. And yes, her makeup was dark, but it wasn't scary.

Azula was the...well...as she'd call herself-and others wouldn't hesistate to agree-the head bitch. With Mai and Ty Lee on her flanks most of the time, they were considered the mean girls of the school-Azula made up the plans, Mai was reluctant and often didn't care, and Ty Lee was friendly about it, even after blocking your chi. Recently, she had gotten out of a mental facility, and was living with her brother and great-uncle Iroh in her billionare father's mansion. Now _they _were the richest in town. Her hair was black, sleek, and down today, her gold eyes menacing, her lips pulled up in her usual sneer. She wore an off-the-shoulder striped, red and black tee, black skirt, and black open-toed heels.

And Ty Lee...sigh. There was no doubt that she was the prettiest out of the three girls. She got all the attention from boys, and she was a little slow sometimes, but she was loyal and intelligent. She had brown hair, now up in a curly ponytail, and grey eyes. Having "the lightest, pinkest aura!", her makeup was gentle to match her flirty pink dress and nude pumps. At the moment, she was animated with her phone, texting...who knows who.

Zuko wordlessly walked up to his locker, which was next to Aang's, and murmured his hello. The Gaang said hi to him back, their eyes still focused on Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee as they passed them.

Azula gave Katara a nasty smile, making the waterbender gulp and take a step back, and the firebender walked off.

"Great. She's back," Katara said, crossing her arms, and Aang sent a concerned look in her direction. "Now she's gonna make my life a living hell!"

* * *

**Yup, chappie's short, but man those descriptions are long! Don't worry, it gets better in the next chapter. More dialouge and interactiveness ^.^**

**Review!**


	2. Apple Problems

** Review responses! (In order from the very first review to the most recent)**

**Melon Lord: Never did call him straight out emo. I put quotations. A lot of people at school think he's emo because of the way he dresses and carries himself. But we all know how awesome Zuzu is :) And Maiko isn't one of the pairings, although I predicted some wanted it that way. Personally, I don't ship it, but I have huge respect for its fanbase. I'm more of a Ty Luko fan.!**

**LadyFelton1994: Glad you liked it :)**

**Middonaito: Thanks so much! It made me feel great seeing your review!**

**TazFlan93: And your wish is granted!**

**Joyness487: Lol, that's what I was going for! xP No one messes with him unless it's Azula.**

**Guest: Thanks, "bro" xDD**

**Guest: Your review didn't really make sense to me...but okay?**

* * *

"Don't worry about her," Zuko said, closing his locker shut, and all eyes fell on him. "If she messes with you when I'm not around, and if you guys can't handle it," his gaze fell on Katara, "let me know, alright?"

Katara nodded. "Thanks, Zuko."

Zuko nodded back at her, then his eyes flickered in Aang's direction. "Then again...you might not need me. Aang's got your back." Aang's eyes went wide, and his cheeks warmed up as Zuko smirked at him. "Right, Aang?"

"Uh, yeah. Right. Gooo Team Aang, hehe," Aang said awkwardly, pumping his fist in the air with lack of energy. Toph and Sokka snickered, seeing where Zuko was implying, and Katara just smiled softly.

"See you guys at lunch," Zuko said over his shoulder as he made his way down the hallway towards his first class. They watched him leave.

"Are they still selling chicken sandwiches?" Sokka asked, his stomach grumbling.

"Yep. I can smell it from all the way down here," Toph said.

"YAY!" Sokka then grabbed a now blushing Toph by her hand and took off down the hallway, her feet flying off the ground. "C'mon! We gotta get going before they run out of 'em!"

"He just ate breakfast!" Katara exasperated, heading towards her locker, and Aang followed. "That _I _cooked!"

"Wow, it wasn't _that_ bad, was it?" Aang joked, and Katara gave him a look. "Aww, c'mon, Katara. You know I was kidding!"

"Yeah, yeah." Katara did her combination, opening her locker. She sighed. "Sometimes I feel so unappreciated, ya know?"

"I appreciate you!" Aang blurted out, mentally kicking himself in the butt. "I-I mean...-"

"Really?" Katara's tone was light and surprised as she took out her binder and two text books, closing her locker shut. "How?"

"Um...I appreciate you for being _you_," Aang admitted, putting his hands in his pockets. "You were always there for me, and um...you're nice and brave and, uh...pretty! Um...and, yeah. You gave great advice and awesome hugs. You're just the whole package, okay?"

Katara was flattered, though she giggled at his stammering and awkwardness. "Thanks, Aang."

Aang smiled back at her. "Want me to walk you to class?"

Katara nodded. "Sure."

"So," Mai deadpanned, leaning against her locker, which was next to Azula's. "what's your plan _this _time?" She crossed her arms.

"I got a few tricks up my sleeve," Azula replied with a soft giggle. Ty Lee listened from the other side of her. "Besides, you know this. We have to be extra sneaky this year. If I get in big trouble again, I'll get expelled."

"Not expelled!" Ty Lee gasped.

"She _has _been suspended over a hundred times," Mai muttered, and Azula gave her a dark look.

Ty Lee bit her lip. "Azula...why?"

"Why what?

"Why bully? I mean, don't you...you know...feel bad about your, er, victims?"

Azula arched an eyebrow. "I don't pity, and I refuse to experience the feeling. Ty Lee, don't tell me that you're siding with poor little _Zuzu _are you?"

Ty Lee bit her lip. "I'm not saying I am, but...if you don't wanna be expelled, then just be a regular school goer for once! Half the school is scared of you!"

"Good." Azula closed her locker shut. "They should be. Now you only have two choices, sweetheart. Either you're with me, or against me."

And with that, she walked off, her heels clicking as she went. Mai exchanged a glance with Ty Lee, shrugging her shoulders before following Azula without looking back. Ty Lee sighed.

"I'm glad you're back Azula..." she murmured. "But sometimes, I worry about you..."

She felt eyes on her back, turning her head. Katara and Aang had slowed down their walking, taking simutaneous steps back when her eyes fell on them.

"What're you looking at?!" she snapped. "Uh...go away!...Losers!"

After that, she walked away as fast as her pumps could carry her.

"Something tells me that the girl is slipping..." Katara noted. "What do you think, Aang?"

"I think she's feeling guilty and conflicted," said Aang. "I mean, she's been friends with Azula all her life-being friends with us is like the ultimate betrayal. Zuko's friends with us, and he and Azula still have the same rocky relationship." He shrugged.

"Yeah, but they're _siblings_ though-_and _from a tough past. They'll always hate each other."

"Good point."

ATLA

The rest of the morning went by slow for Aang. He felt bummed that he wouldn't see Katara until fourth period. His first period was English, and that bored him to death. He had second and third period with Toph-Gym and History-fourth period, which was Spanish, fifth period was Biology II-and he had that with Toph too. Sixth and seventh period were Algebra II-which he also had with his tough friend-and finally Art-which he happily had with Katara, Toph, Sokka _and _Zuko!

And...Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.

The five friends also had lunch together with the terrible threesome. Amongst them were also a trio the Gaang became friends with, although trust was a little rocky with them; Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot. Jet had suffered from a severe head injury, but he had gotten better. He was a suave guy who had a way with words-and obviously had a thing for Katara, but he was naturally flirty with every girl. Smellerbee was often mistaken for a boy, with her short hair and physique, but has blossomed some, and stayed mum when people asked her if she was in a relationship with Longshot, who was always quiet and almost never talked.

There was also Suki, Sokka's ex girlfriend, and she was a loyal friend to the Gaang. Haru, an Earth Kindom cutie who alternated between shaving his facial hair and leaving it there, was also a friend; they were both juniors. And Meng...she was a freshman, and had a _huge _crush on Aang. Her best friends were Jin, who had a little thing with Zuko for a short period of time, and Song-a shy but nice girl who loved helping people.

Lunch rolled around, and Aang's stomach growled. He walked in the cafeteria, his eyes traveling around. There weren't really cliques at Ba Sing Se High-rather, it wasn't much of a big deal, excluding Azula's opinion-but everyone had their own groups. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee sat at one table, Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot sat at another, Meng, Jin, and Song at another, and the list goes on.

"Aang! Over here!" Katara called from the lunch line, where she and Toph stood; a big smile spread across his face when he saw them and made his way over.

"You two get here fast," Aang said, taking a tray; he decided to go for a healthy salad today. Yep. He was a proud vegetarian.

"Nah, Toph just walks fast, and she pulls me with her," Katara said. "So, how's your day been going?"

"Kinda boring. You?"

"Same."

"'Xcuuuuse moi!" Sokka barged in, squeezing himself between Katara and Toph, taking a tray with chicken tenders on it.

"Excuse you!" Katara protested.

"How's it goin', sis?"

"Don't sweet talk me!"

"Easy, Kat," Aang said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Easy."

Katara sighed, relaxing under his touch; she felt an odd disappointed feeling when he removed his hand.

"Calm your tits, Sugar Queen," Toph said with a snicker.

"See?" Sokka casually slung his arm around Toph's shoulders. "_This _is why I love Toph more than you." He stuck his tongue out at his younger sister.

Katara's mouth dropped; realization then hit her, registering what Sokka just said, and she and Aang started smirking at the same time. "Oh _do_ you now?"

"Don't get all lovey dovey on me now, Snoozles." Toph pushed him away, turning her back to her friends and scurried off before they could see her blush for the second time that day.

"You know you love me, Toph!" Sokka called, rushing after her. "Wanna give me a biiiiiiig hug?"

"I'd rather slam my tongue in a car door!"

"Ouch."

Katara rolled her eyes as she and Aang approached the fruit. They all looked fresh today. Among the fruits were apples, oranges, peaches, and grapes.

"Oooooh," Aang said, licking his lips as he picked up a peach; he smiled at the coolness and soft texture, lifting it up to his nose to sniff. Oh yeah. That smelled nice. Almost as nice as Katara's hair...

He brushed that thought away. Even though her hair _did _smell like mixed berries-his favorite flavored fruit snacks.

"I don't know which apple to pick! They all look so shiny and preeeetty," Katara cooed. "Hmm...I'm picking..._this one!"_

Before her hand could wrap around the fruity goodness, a paler and slender hand snatched it away. Katara looked up, and to her dismay, it was Azula who took it; and Mai and Ty Lee were at her flanks.

"Nice apple. Mind if I have it?" Azula sneered, taking a bite out of it, and chewed. "Mmm..." She taunted, swallowing.

"You _knew_ I was gonna pick that one!" Katara replied hotly.

"And? It doesn't have your name on it."

"Why I outta..." Katara started for the girl, but Aang held her back from doing so.

"Katara, don't," he said to her quietly. "Be the bigger person, remember? Let's just pay for our food and sit with our friends outside, okay?"

Katara sighed. "Fine."

"Yeah, listen to your little boyfriend." Azula laughed. "Let's go girls."

The three Fire Nation natives walked off, and Katara relaxed a bit.

"She's trying to get you worked up-over an _apple," _Aang said, and Katara couldn't help but giggle at his tone. "Don't you know how ridiculous and _childish _that sounds?"

"I guess you're right..." she said. "But she just irks me so much to the point where I just wanna..." She sighed heavily. "I just wanna kill the bitch!" She blurted out, feeling bad that she had used fowl language. She barely cursed at all, unless it was damn or hell.

Aang felt bad for her; he found a shiny apple and gave it to her.

Katara smiled at him.

They paid for their food, then walked over to Sokka and Toph, who had been waiting for them so they all could walk outside together.

"We saw the whole thing," Sokka said.

Toph took a step closer to Katara, and she looked down at her younger friend.

"Want me to cut her?"

Katara put her hand on Toph's shoulder, smiling a little. "No. That won't be necessary."

"DAMMIT!"

* * *

**I feel bad for Toph. I would've done the same thing if my best friend was in Katara's shoes!**

**Ty Lee...who's side is she really on?**

**And Toph? Blushing? OMG, it's too good to be true! xD**

**Zuko, Zuko, Zuko...there shall be more of him in the next chappie! But he totally knows about Aang's crush on Katara. It's just adorable ^.^**

**I felt in a good enough mood to do a quick update :)**

**Review please! I also take suggestions for any scenes in particular that you wanna see happen! Or...read...xP**


	3. Burned

**Review responses!**

**TazFan93: Loved your review! And your idea _did _give me an idea of my own! Kinda different, but it will be along the same lines :)**

**LadyFelton1994: Yes, more Zuko. Who doesn't love him? His future girlfriend appears in this chapter. Try to guess who it is ^.^**

**TophRocks: Yes, Tokka! There's more in this chappie too ****;D**

**70oda: Wish granted! YAY, THE WORLD IS STILL HERE! xP**

**twinkle toes: Thanks :) Everyone's waiting for some Kataang action!**

**And, since you're practically _begging..._**

**Here's the next chappie: one full of Kataang, Tokka, and the surprise pairing that also ends up being the third main pairing in this story!**

* * *

"Asami, I'm home!" Aang called, coming in the house. A few feet away to the right was the wooden stairway, which lead up to his room, the bathroom, and the guest room. Further down the hall was the den, and the kitchen was to the right of that. Asami's room was farther down the next hallway, behind the den.

"In the kitchen!" Asami called back.

"Okay!" Aang looked back at Katara. "Come on in."

Katara followed Aang inside, gripping her backpack strap as she looked around. Now that she thought about it, she's never been at Aang's house. He was always over her and Sokka's, or Toph's, or even Zuko's. He also was always outside and on adventures so...

Aang made his way to the kitchen, and Katara followed.

"Hey," Asami said, looking up briefly to see Aang, and went back to cutting the vegetables on the counter. "We're having-" She looked up again, seeing Katara come up beside Aang-noticing that she was wearing his blue beanie- and gasped. "You brought a _girl!" _

Aang's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "Asami..."

Asami wiped off her hands, walking around the counter and extending her hand out to Katara. "Hi, I'm Asami Sato."

"Katara, nice to meet you," Katara introduced herself, shaking Asami's hand.

Asami's eyes cut to Aang's, seeing him blush deeper. Katara may or may not have been the topic of conversation quite a few times. "_You're _Katara!" Aang's face reddened even more as she continued. "Oh, Aang talks about you _all _the time-"

"Okay, Asami! Me and Katara have to work on homework, heh!" Aang said through a tight smile, gently pushing Katara towards the stairs.

Asami just smiled and shook her head before resuming her cutting.

"Asami seems nice," Katara noted as she walked into Aang's bedroom. His bed was to the right, with windows on each side of it; it was king sized with dark smooth wood, orange pillows and orange sheets; the comforter was white with an orange stripe going down the middle horizontally. The wall colors varied; behind the bed was painted orange, and the walls on either side of it was white, the floor resembled marble. A dark purple carpet rectangle sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, with a table that matched the wood of his bed settled on top of it. On the table were scattered books and papers, but not overdone. The bedside table on the right side of the bed had a lamp on it and an alarm clock.

Across from the bed was a flatscreen mounted on the wall, a dark dresser beneath it, and the closet was in the farthest corner.

"She is." Aang blushed again, glad that her back was turned, and closed the door. Katara turned around to face him, gripping her backpack strap again. He gestured towards the bed. "Shall we?"

Katara smiled at him, walking over to his bed and sat down on the edge. She had never been in a boy's room besides her brother's before. Aang walked over to the other side, sitting down and got comfortable as he emptied out his backpack.

"Wonder why Toph hasn't dropped Art class?" Aang said, referring to his friend's lack of sight.

"Because it's the only class that all of us have together," Katara said, giving him a look.

Aang didn't comprehend. "I don't..."

"_All of us, _Aang," Katara said. "You, me, Zuko, _Sokka..."_

"_Ooohh!"_

Katara shook her head and giggled.

They worked on their homework in silence for a while, with them listening to Katara's music from her phone. Occasionally, Aang would ask her for help with his Algebra-Katara, along with Zuko, was a Math _wiz-_sometimes he'd naturally just didn't get it, but he also wanted her to help him just because. Whenever she _did _help him, she'd lean over and her arm would brush against his, and his heart would skip beats at her touch.

On the other end, Katara loved watching Aang do his homework. He had a slightly serious face while he did it, and when he got confused, his face would scrunch up in the most adorable way. She then knew that it was seconds before he'd call her name in a soft and nervous tone, as if she'd be disturbed every time he did so. But he'd never disturb her of course. She liked helping him out more than anyone. To keep him in a good mood, she made him take pictures with her; he wasn't complaining.

"Sifu Katara?" There was amusement in his voice as he broke the silence ten more minutes later.

"Yes, Mister Sato?" Katara giggled. Of course, since Aang was now Asami's adopted son, he gladly took after her last name.

Grey orbs met blue and the airbender was rendered speechless.

"Um..." Aang scratched the back of his neck. "Never mind. Forgot what I was gonna say..."

Her tone was understanding. "Don't you hate it when that happens?"

"Definately." _More than you know..._

On several occasions, Aang had attempted to tell Katara how he felt, but all that came out was stuttering and a lot of babbling. After what felt like the thousandth time, he just gave up; this was during the war, but now that it was over, and they were back in school...

He was fifteen now, and she just turned seventeen. They were a little older so if he told her now, then would she take him more seriously? He was in love with her ever since they met at the South Pole, and he was only twelve at the time. As time passed, his feelings sprouted from a little crush to something more. Everybody knew about it too; didn't Katara? Didn't she see his flirtatious attempts? (He wasn't much of a flirt anyway) The way his cheeks would warm up when she'd hug him or kiss him on the cheek? The way he gazed at her without thinking?

And now here they were, a week after the Azula incident, on a Friday, and alone in his room. Aang was a nervous wreck, but he didn't let it show.

"Aang, are you okay?"

Or at least he thought he didn't let it show.

"I'm fine!" he lied, forcing a smile as he met her gaze again. Spirits, her eyes..."Just peachy." He tapped his pencil against his mouth a few times, avoiding her gaze now.

Katara arched an eyebrow, skeptical. "Aang, you're lying."

"No I'm not..."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that with a straight face."

Aang lifted his head to look into her eyes. "Katara, I am not..." He tried not to smile. "...lying to you." And failed.

"That's what I thought." Katara giggled quietly, closing her book shut. "Wanna tell me what's up?"

Aang gulped. "Uh..."

"C'mon, you can tell me anything." Her voice was pleading now, and Aang nearly cracked right there. How can he resist with those eyes?!

"I wish I could without sounding like an idiot."

Katara continued to gaze at him with curiosity as he got to his feet, running his fingers through his hair. He walked around in a semi circle before turning around to face her; as his hands came down his face, he peeked at her through the gaps of his fingers. She was still looking at him. Oh God. She was making this harder. He watched her stand up, coming around the bed to stand in front of him.

As she did, she really noticed their height difference, and having a brief flashback back when he was shorter than her. Things sure have changed within the past three years...

"Does it have to do with me?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not. You never do. But...yeah. It has everything to do with you." Aang's palms felt sweaty, and he wiped them off his jeans.

The brunette was quiet for a bit. "Aang, I still don't...-"

Her voice trailed off as his hands cupped her cheeks, his thumbs tracing back and forth on her jawline as his hands drifted down a little further to cup more of her neck. Her heart fluttered at his touch and her stomach was doing somersaults. Her eyes followed his every move since he reached out to touch her, and now she couldn't look away from his deep gaze.

"You're my best friend, Katara..." Aang began. "And ever since we've met, I've felt so attached to you. I didn't know what I was feeling back then because I've never had feelings for anyone before. As soon as I figured out what it was, I didn't know what to do about it. You even said that you only saw me as a little brother to you, and I was okay with that for a while but it still hurt. As we got to know each other better and got closer, my feelings for you got stronger. Why do you think that you're the only one who could pull me out of the Avatar State when I was out of control? Why do you think I tried to impress you in the beginning? Got jealous when I saw you with Jet? Or the first time I burned your hands...?"

Katara rose her hands as she looked down at them, remembering. That was the day she learned how to heal herself, but also the day that Sokka snapped at Aang. Aang felt horrible and vowed that he'd never firebend again.

Aang's hands cupped around hers, giving them a gentle squeeze, and Katara met his gaze again. He pulled their hands to his chest, and he held them there; Katara could feel his heartbeat, and it wasn't steady.

"Do you still think of me as a little brother?" He asked her. He was nervous again. What if she said yes? What if she ran from the room and left the house? He tried to read her face; she looked a little dazed and...was that awe? He had no idea.

Slowly, Katara shook her head, and she felt his heart jump. "No..." she breathed. She didn't. Now that she thought more about it, she didn't dream about kissing and doing more-than-platonic things with her brother. Out of everyone in the Gaang, excluding her brother, she cared about Aang the most. When they were in danger, she was worried about him. When he was the most vulnerable, she went to _him. _When he was...gone, _she_ was the one who healed him and brought him back. _She_ was very emotional that night. _She_ tried to help him sleep when he was having nightmares and hallucinations. She even went as far as touching his face and using the "For me" trick. It came natural to her, touching his face.

And she did it again. Pulling one of her hands away, she reached up and cupped the same cheek that she did last time and he sighed; his head leaned into her touch, and she smiled softly.

"I love you..."

Katara's cheeks went pink. She knew that he wasn't talking about platonic love. Not the way he loved Toph. Not the brotherly bond he felt with Sokka and Zuko. He loved her. He _loved _her. Had she heard him right? His voice was so quiet when he said those words, and his cheeks also warmed up.

Aang's eyes fell on her lips, which parted as soon as his gaze came in contact with them; they looked so inviting...Katara looked at his in return, before their eyes met again. Their faces were closer now as the space started to close at a very slow and hesitant pace.

Aang watched Katara close her eyes, her lips puckered in the slightest; so she wanted this. She wanted him to kiss her. He had never kissed a girl before; what if she's already had her first kiss? What if she doesn't like it?

This added to his nerves, but he put the questions in the back of his mind. He was going to kiss her. He wasn't going to delay this any longer.

As soon as their noses touched and slid against each other, Aang closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers. He counted the seconds mentally, holding his breath. _1...2...3...4...5..._With an exhale, he broke the kiss and pulled away, their foreheads touching.

Katara's eyes slowly opened; her eyes met Aang's, and she smiled a little while biting her lip. The three words that he'd been longing to hear for the longest fell from her lips, and Aang smiled wide. He felt Katara's hand slip in his hair, pulling him closer to her for another kiss. Though he was surprised, he just let his mind go blank and went with his male instincts. She inclined her head, deepening the kiss and his hands gripped her waist, pulling her closer to him.

He heard her moan quietly, and he shuddered, knowing the reason why; her body was fully pressed against his from her chest down, leaving almost no space. Of course, when he got hugs from her, he always blushed because of her very feminine body; this was different though. Their lips were touching repeatedly.

Katara leaned up on her toes, and his hands traveled up her back and back down to her waist.

"So I'm your first kiss?" Katara asked with a smile, her lips brushing teasingly against his.

"Yeah." Aang chuckled against her mouth.

"Mmm..." Her arms slithered around his neck. "Looks like someone's been practicing on their pillow."

"And you don't?" Aang brought his hands to her front, wiggling his fingers.

Katara pulled back, giggling as he tickled her. Her wide smile made him smile, and she danced out of his grip, backing away from him.

"Katara?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're forgetting one thing." Aang smirked.

"What?"

Before Katara could do or say anything further on the subject, a gust of wind slammed into her backside, causing her to almost literally fly across the room and back in his arms; she knocked into him with a surprised grunt, hands on his chest as she looked up at him in disbelief.

"Airbender, remember?" Aang snickered.

He was very smug.

ATLA

Sokka and Zuko were over Toph's house the following Saturday, and currently they were going against each other in Street Fighter IV. Just like any other Earth Kingdom household, and considering that Toph was very wealthy, the house had a lot of greens, browns, and yellows everywhere. Every room, like Zuko's house, was spacious; unlike Zuko's house, Sokka felt at home here. Zuko's house creeped him out, unless Uncle Iroh was around; he could make anyone feel at home.

"Where's Katara?" Zuko asked Sokka randomly. Toph came in from the kitchen, belching loudly from the soda can she just finished; she crushed it to her forehead and tossed it in the garbage can.

"Over Aang's house 'studying'." Sokka put up quotations, holding the controller in one hand as he did so. "Again."

"Ha, 'bout time they 'studied'," Toph said, now standing behind the couch. "Who's winning?"

"HA!" Sokka outbursted as he won, yet again. "IN YO FACE, HOTMAN!"

"Flameo," Toph droned, sounding a lot like Mai. She was bored. She couldn't play video games because she had no idea what the hell was going on on the screen.

"I'm not much of a player anyway," Zuko grumbled as the doorbell rang.

Toph went to go answer it, flexing her toes. She paused, grinning mischievously when she sensed who it was behind the door.

And like she predicted, she opened the door to reveal Aang and Katara.

"Speak of the 'studying' doubles, and they shall appear," she said, leaning against the threshold. "Wassap, Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen?" she then sensed their entwined hands. "Or should I refer to you as Mr. and Mrs. Twinkletoes now?" she snickered.

"Nice to see you too, Toph," Aang said, letting Katara go in first before himself. "Sup, guys!"

"Hey, Aang!" Sokka called back without tearing his eyes away from the TV.

"I think you've had enough for today," Toph said, snatching the controller away from him.

"Hey!" Sokka protested as Toph tossed the controller over to Aang.

"Let Sugar King give it a go. Ha! See what I did there?"

Katara rolled her eyes as Aang caught it, sitting down next to Zuko. She wasn't really a video game person; she preferred watching, so she stood behind the couch.

"You are so evil," Sokka pouted.

"Yeah, so?" Toph crossed her arms, her bottom lip poking out. "All you guys care about is playing video games when you come over and do stupid guy stuff."

"But...you're not girly...-"

"I know that but I don't have testosterone!" Toph snapped.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I don't know!"

"And why not?"

"Because I can't think of a good excuse right now!"

Sokka smiled. "Aww, does someone want to sit on Santa's lap?" He extended his arms.

"You're skinny and tan, not fat and white," Toph muttered, but Sokka pulled her close anyway; he pulled her on his lap, wrapping his arms around her so she won't escape. Well, she could, and kick him in the nuts if she wanted to.

But she didn't. She was rather comfortable, feeling very small as she curled herself against him, half-balled up palm on his chest.

"I hate you," she muttered, cheeks pink again.

"No you don't," he murmured back.

Aang had paused the game and he, Zuko, and Katara were looking at them with smirks on their faces.

"Well aren't you the sweetest guy in the world?" Katara said.

"Aww," Aang pouted, and Katara wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin lightly on his head. He smiled instantly before resuming play with Zuko.

"I think she wants attention," Sokka said. "All girls do."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Toph, belching.

"Good one!" Sokka then took a deep breath and belched himself.

Toph burped again, this time longer and louder than Sokka's.

"Oh, is that a challenge, Bei Fong?"

"Bring it, Meathead!"

Katara made a face.

ATLA

There was another knock on the door around four o'clock.

"Who's _that?" _Toph wondered. She hadn't invited anybody else.

Zuko paused the game, hearing...was that sobbing?

He got to his feet, walking over to the door. He looked through the window by it, seeing who was standing out there, and opened the door quickly.

"Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee rose her head, and her eyes met his; she started crying harder and collapsed against him.

"Ty Lee, what's wrong?" Zuko's voice was urgent, gently pushing her back so he could find the problem.

"A-Azula b-b-burned me!" Ty Lee rose her arms, and he saw her singed skin; it was pink and started at her hands, ending at her lower arm. "I-It h-hurts!"

Zuko's nostrils flared, his eyes widening. Azula did this? _Why? _He was surprised that Ty Lee hadn't managed to leap out of the way and block her chi.

"Katara!" he pulled Ty Lee inside, closing the door and wrapping his arm around her. Katara immediately got to her feet and everyone else froze, eyes wide as Zuko brought the sobbing girl further in the room.

For the moment, the rest of the Gaang forgot that they weren't on the best terms with Ty Lee.

"What happened?" Katara asked, bring Ty Lee into the kitchen with Zuko. Aang automatically got up and followed, leaving Sokka and Toph alone on the couch.

"Wanna see what's up?" Sokka asked her.

Toph shrugged. "Sure."

Sokka got to his feet, scooping Toph up in his arms easily as he walked towards the kitchen.

"H-Hey!" Toph stammered. "Put me down! Can't see, remember? I'm BLIND!"

Meanwhile, Ty Lee sat down at the table with Zuko next to her and Katara sitting across from them.

"Aang, go get me some water," Katara said, and he nodded and obliged. He came back quickly with a bowl of cold water and put it in front of Katara. "Thank you, sweetie."

"No problem," Aang replied, and he watched as Katara Bended the water out, lighting up as it surrounded both of her hands. Around this time was when Sokka and Toph came in, and she punched him in the arm after he put her down on her feet.

Sokka cursed, rubbing his arm, and Toph smiled in satisfaction.

Katara leaned forward, her hands hovering over Ty Lee's burned arms and closed her eyes in concentration; the water glowed a little brighter. Ty Lee's sobs quieted as she felt the cooling sensation. Zuko's arm was resting on the back of her chair.

"First degree burns..." Katara murmured. "Sliding towards the second degree slightly around your palms..."

"Me, A-Azula, and Mai were out back," Ty Lee began when she could speak. "She was practicing her Firebending I guess, and we were all talking and having a great time. I was baking cookies, so I went inside to go see if they were ready to come out. I talked to Uncle Iroh and we had a nice chat about tea." She took a deep, shaky breath. "I came back out and...was giving them out, right? I gave some to Mai, and she said she liked them. I walked over to Azula and when she tried one..." Her eyesight blurred with more tears. "She automatically spit them out a-and she breathed fire...I was st-standing too close and..." she couldn't finish that so she went on. "She c-called me a stupid bitch who can't cook! But by then I was already running out the house. Mai and Uncle Iroh tried to stop me but..."

Zuko wrapped his arm around Ty Lee's shoulders, rubbing her arm to sooth her.

"Did she try to apologize?" he asked her and she shook her head.

His friends watched as a knowing dark look came over his face, his fist balling up on the table, and it started to turn a bright red.

"Easy, Zuko..." Aang said, and his fist relaxed and faded back to his pale complexion.

"Okay. Now I'm gonna kill her." Zuko growled.

"No, don't," Ty Lee said with a shake of her head.

"If I don't show up in school on Monday, you'll know why."

"Zu-"

"Don't Zuzu me. When I get home, she'd dead meat."

"You know how Azula is," Katara said calmly, still healing Ty Lee, her eyes on him. "Just talk to her. Or just let Iroh talk to her."

"She's not gonna listen to him. She might listen to me." Zuko's teeth gritted, then he looked down at Ty Lee's arm. He sighed, his gaze flickering to Katara. "How is she doing?"

"She's fine. I'm almost done," Katara answered with a small smile, and he sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Katara," Ty Lee said, and Katara looked up at her in surprise. Her tone was truly sincere.

"No problem," Katara said back. Ty Lee seemed like a really nice and genuine person; why would Azula do that to her? Some friend she was...

The glowing stopped, and Katara pulled back her hands. Aang placed his hands on Katara's shoulders from behind, tracing his thumbs back and forth, and she sighed in relaxation from it.

Ty Lee looked down at her hands and arms. They were back to normal!

"Be careful, okay?" Katara asked.

Ty Lee smiled at her and nodded. Her smile fell when realization hit her.

"I guess I'll just go then..." She got to her feet. "Might as well go back to Azula's house and..."

As she went on, Sokka softly elbowed Toph.

Toph groaned.

"Wait!" she said, and Ty Lee turned around. The rest came through Toph's teeth. "Why don't you stay here? You can leave when Zuko does."

Ty Lee's eyes brightened.

ATLA

Zuko stormed in his house, heading straight to the stairs. He was full of adrenaline. Ty Lee was behind him, trying to keep up.

He burst into Azula's room, fists balled up at his sides.

"Zuzu, you finally made it home," Azula said casually. Mai was also there with her, getting to her feet when he saw Zuko's expression. Ty Lee covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with worry.

"Outside," he said to his younger sibling. "_Now."_

* * *

**Oooh. Zuko's mad.**

**Review!**


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